The Danbury Prison Fire: What Happened? What Has Been Done To Prevent Recurrence?

On July 7, 1977, a fire occurred at the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, Connecticut, killing five inmates and causing about 70 people to be hospitalized as a result of injuries. The Bureau of Prisons convened a Board of Inquiry composed of Bureau personnel, none of whom were experts in fire safety investigations. Subsequently, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People questioned the completeness and accuracy of the Board of Inquiry's report. In response to a congressional inquiry, GAO reconstructed the key events of the fire.